I joined HowNow excited by the vision and promises made during the hiring process. What I walked into was something entirely different. The culture was nothing like what was pitched. I was sold a story of autonomy, collaboration, and psychological safety, but what I experienced was fear, control, and dysfunction.
From day one, I felt micromanaged and distrusted. Leadership operated through gaslighting and intimidation, not support. Managers would speak about their direct reports behind their backs, sharing private mental health information in team meetings, twisting the narrative of people’s performance or absence to suit their own agenda. Feedback wasn’t welcome unless it was positive. Any criticism, even when constructive, was shut down immediately or used against you.
There was no structure, no clarity, no prioritisation. Everything was urgent. Everything was a fire drill. I’d have my day planned with demos and RFP work, then be told to drop it all for a last-minute “urgent” request from leadership without any context or deadlines, just pressure. It was pure chaos. (And you guessed it, the urgent requests turned out to never actually be urgent).
People are scared to speak up. I never saw a single person challenge a decision or share critical feedback openly. Even the anonymous surveys weren’t truly anonymous, and everyone knew it. The result is a team of smart, capable people who are walking on eggshells daily, too afraid to say what they’re really thinking, while managers perform fake transparency and act like everything’s great.
The worst part was how leadership treated people. I witnessed senior staff standing over junior team members shouting at them in the office. I literally heard one manager screaming and swearing at someone on a Zoom call through the walls. No one stepped in. No one said a word. It was accepted. Normalised. That kind of behaviour should be a red line for any company.
There were also promises that were never followed through. I was told I would receive equity during the hiring process, but after I joined, nothing was ever put in writing. I chased it multiple times. The response? “I promise nothing shady is going on.” That’s not reassuring. That’s sketchy.
I took the first chance I had to leave. After I resigned, my manager told the team a completely fabricated story about how I left and asked me not to attend the meeting where it was shared.
Even after I was gone, the dysfunction continued. I didn’t receive my final payslip in a usable format. It was locked behind an internal system I no longer had access to, and I had to beg to get a PDF copy. I also never received reimbursement for nearly £600 in expenses. After multiple emails with HR, they eventually admitted there was a delay in finance and told me to check back next month.
I’ve worked in startups. I know things can be messy. But this wasn’t just messy. This was toxic. This was the worst professional experience I’ve ever had.
Would not recommend. Not to a friend. Not to a stranger. Not to anyone.
